Cancer - Pancreatic
The pancreas is a thin, lumpy gland that lies between your stomach
and spine and plays a crucial role in digestion. It produces insulin, a
hormone essential for controlling blood sugar levels, and other special
enzymes that help to digest food. The pancreatic duct joins the
pancreas to the small intestine. Pancreatic cancer is an abnormal
uncontrolled growth of cells that begins in the lining of the
pancreatic duct and spreads into the body of the pancreas. It grows
within the pancreas and may cause the bile duct to become obstructed.
It subsequently moves into the blood vessels and nerves around the
pancreas. The cancer may then also spread via the lymphatic system to
other parts of the body causing secondary cancers.
Due to difficulties in diagnosis, the intrinsic aggressive nature of
pancreatic cancer and the sparse treatment options available, less than
1 in 20 pancreatic patients survive more than 5 years after diagnosis.
Many do not make it past the first twelve months.
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men and women in Western societies.
We focus on defining how a hormone, called retinoic acid, affects
the cells in pancreatic cancer, the goal being to develop new
diagnostic and treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer that are
based on the successful use of retinoids for leukemia and skin
cancer.
We have established one of the world’s largest tissue sample
databases collected from patients with pancreatic cancer or its
precursor lesions (early cellular changes that pre-date cancer
development). The collection of these samples, along with details of
the patients’ history and outcome, mean that we can search for
molecular markers and determine how they are related to disease outcome
and therapy response.
We found that a certain protein, called HOXB2, is an independent
indicator of poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer and therefore can be
used to select patients for surgery. The presence of this protein can
help decide whether the ordeal of invasive surgery is worthwhile. We
hope, in the not too distant future, to conduct clinical trials to see
if HOXB2 profiling would be useful in the clinic.
News
The molecule that can switch appetite off and on
05 Nov 2007
Researchers from the St Vincent’s Campus have identified the molecule responsible for the extreme weight loss common in late stage cancer. The findings published online in Nature Medicine suggest it may soon be possible to prevent this condition, giving people the strength to survive treatment. Conversely, the knowledge also suggests a way to switch off appetite in obese people.
